Table construction and assembly



Jan. 25, 1966 e. 5. GRANT TABLE CONSTRUCTION AND ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed June 8,. 1964 INVENTOPK GEORGE 5. GRANT Jan. 25, 1966 G. 8.GRANT TABLE CONSTRUCTION AND ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 8 1964FIGS.

FIG. 6.

FIG.7.

l N V E N T O R GE ORGE S. G RAN T United States Patent 3,239,998 TABLECONSTRUCT'TON AND ASSEMBLY George S. Grant, 1111 Kilwinning Sh,Penticton, Oiranagan-Eouudary, British Columbia, Canada Filed June 8,1964, Ser. No. 373,317 3 Claims. (Cl. 108-142) This invention relates toa table construction and assembly.

One of the objects of this invention is to construct a table having arotatable top, the position of which is adjusted relatively to the tablesupport.

Another object of my invention is to fabricate a table which is capableof use in restricted spaces thereby conserving floor space in publicdining rooms, etc.

A further object of my invention is to arrange the table top so that itmay be rotatably mounted on a hollow column which is provided with adisc on top so providing a maximum supporting area between the columnand the superposed rotatable top of the table.

A further object of the invention is to provide a table with a revolvingtop that is suitable for use individually or for being connected withspaced units to form a long continuous table assembly.

Another object of the invention is to construct a table which is stronand durable, light in weight and readily assembled and in which theseveral parts are readily accessible for inspection and/ or repair.

To the accomplishment of these and related objects as shall becomeapparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

The invention will be best understood and can be more clearly describedwhen reference is had to the drawings forming a part of this disclosurewherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a supporting columnand sleeve structure of the table;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevation of the supporting column and thesleeve showing the disc on the top of the column;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view on the line 33 of FIGURE 1 and showing theadjustable split ring;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the sleeve and table top supporting discmounted thereon and showing the location of the locking plunger and bellcrank operating device;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of an arrangement of individual tables into along banquet-like table assembly;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation thereof; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional detail of the tongueand-groove jointbetween confronting table edges and a slidably removable leaf insert.

Referring to the drawings A represents the improved table comprising acolumn I!) of suitable length which may rest on or be secured to a floorby a suitable base. The column It is tubular and the upper portion ismachined for about one-fifth of its length, more or less, that is, themachined portion may be approximately seven inches in length.

The upper end of the column Ill is closed by a disc 11 and a splitadjustable ring 12 is mounted on the column and this ring is providedwith a pair of aligned orifices 13 and 14, the former of which isthreaded while the latter is or" smooth bore. The ring is formed with apcripheral pocket or recess 15 in the con-fines of which the head 16 ofa set screw 17 is located. The screw 17 bridges the split in the ring 12and on tightening the set screw in the threaded orifice 13 the ring maybe rigidly ICQ secured to the column 10. This adjustable ring is locatedadjacent the lower end of the machined portion of the column It and theupper wall of the ring is provided with at least two spaced orifices 18which are clearly illustrated in FIGURE '3.

Rotatably mounted on the upper end of the column 10 is a sleeve 19formed intermediate of its length with a latching member consisting of aset screw 29 which makes threaded engagement with the orifice 21 in theperipheral wall of the sleeve, .and the point of this set screw isthimbled, i.e., it is not threaded and this point projects into thearcuate slot 22 formed in the periphery of the column 10 and extendingtransversely of the column. The sleeve is therefore capable of beingrotated to a limited extent governed by the length of the slot 22, butis held against vertical displacement by means of the set screw Zilengaging the slot.

The upper end of the sleeve 19 projects slightly beyond the top of thecolumn 10 and the recess so formed is filled by the closure disc 11 andthe lower end of the sleeve rests on the split ring 12. Adjacent thelower end of the sleeve 19, a locking device B is mounted which consistsof a cylindrical housing 23 having an upper wall formed with a centralorifice while the lower end of the housing is open. A plunger 24 isslid-ably mounted in the housing 23, and the plunger is formedintermediate of its length with a shoulder 25, and between this shoulderand the upper wall of the housing 23, a spiral spring 26 is located.

This spiral spring encircles the stemdike portion or rod of the plunger24, and the lower projecting end of the plunger 24 is reduced as shownat 27, and designed to coast with orifices 18 in the split ring 12. Thepitch between the orifices 18 should be equal to, or approximately equalto the length of the arcuate slot 22.

On the upper end of the sleeve 19 is a disc 28 which may be welded tothe sleeve or otherwise rigidly connected thereto, and the under face ofthe central portion of this disc 28 rests on or engages the top face ofthe disc 11 which closes the upper end of the column 10 and also the topedge of the peripheral wall of the column. This structural arrangementprovides for a tubular column with a load bearing surface between thedisc 28 and the top of the column so that the manufacturing costs of thecolumn are materially less than if the column 10 were closed by anintegral top wall. This disc 28 is formed with a plurality ofequidistantly spaced threaded orifices 29 with which the set screws 31make threaded engagement. Angle brackets 31a may be attached to the disc28 and the sleeve 19 by welding or other suitable means, and these anglebrackets give great strength and rigidity to the disc without materiallyincreasing the weight thereof.

A plate or disc 32 of mild steel is superposed on the disc 28 and issecured thereto by the set screws 31 which pass through orifices in thedisc 32 and are threaded into the orifices 2'? of the disc 28. On thetop of the disc 32 a table top 33 of suitable shape and thickness issupported and secured in position by wood screws 34. The height of thetable 33 is positioned not only by the column 10 and disc -11 but alsoby the split ring 12 on the column 10, so that the controlled height ofthe table together with the rotatable table top renders this tablehighly efficient and adaptable for use in dining rooms, restaurants,cafes, etc.

The means for controlling the locking of the table top in positionagainst rotation relatively to the split ring 12 consists of a bellcrank 35 which is pivotally mounted on the sleeve 1? adjacent the topthereof, and the horizontal arm 36 of the bell crank lever is connectedby the flexible member 37 to the stem on the upper end of the plunger24, While the vertical arm 38 of the hell crank is connected to one endof a flexible member 39, the free end of which is conveniently concealedbeneath the table top.

In the operation of the table the split ring 12 is adjusted on thecolumn 10. The sleeve 19 is locked in position by the set screw 20 whichis adjusted in threaded orifice21, so that the point of the set screwprojects into the arcuate slot 22. The table is then free to be rotatedin the length of the slot 22 and in either of the end positions of suchslot the plunger 24 of the locking device B will register with andengage one of the orifices 18 in the upper face of the split ring 12 sothat the table top is now held rigidly in position against rotation. Bysimply exerting a pullton the 'ileXi'ble member 39 the plunger 24 Willbe disengaged from a registering orifice 18 in the upper face of thesplit ring 12 permitting the table top being rotated within the confinesof the arcuate slot 22. While I have illustrated one arcuate slot 22, itis to be understood that ,I may if desired use two such slots in theperiphery of the column 10, and I may use a plurality of orifices 18 inthe upper face of the split ring 12, and these slots may, as desired, beengaged by the set screw 20, and the plunger 24 will co -act with aregistering orifice 18 to maintain the table in a set positionrelatively to the column 10. 1

By spacing the table units in straight lines, as shown in FIGURES and 6,the table tops 33 may normally lie in diagonal arrangement as seen indotted outline in FIGURE 5 or rotated into alignment as seen in solidoutline with their spaced confronting edges parallel. The table tops 33have a groove 40 along opposite edges to accommodate the tongues 41 ofthe rectangular leaves 42 that are slidingly inserted. Obviously thegroove may extend around the four sides of the table top and this wouldallow the tables to be selectively arranged in longitudinal ortransverse lines at right angles when desired.

An acceptable manner of mounting the table supporting columns in aconcrete or terrazzo floor 43 is illustrated in sectional detail inFIGURE 6, the column being suitably anchored in a flange cylindricalsocket 44 as by a bolt 4-5.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it Will be manifest that a table construction and assembly isprovided that will fulfil all the necessary requirements of suchadevice, but as many changes could be made in the above description andmany apparently Widely diflerent embodiments of the invention may beconstructed within the scope of the appended claims, without departingfrom the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matterscontained in the said accompanying specification and drawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limitative or restrictivesense.

I claim:

1. A table comprising a column having a transverse slot in the upperpart of the column, a split ring adjustably mounted on the columnintermediate of the height thereof and having at least a pair of spacedorifices on the upper face of the ring, the pitch of the spaced orificesbeing substantially equal to the length of the transverse slot, a sleevemounted on the upper end of the column and co-acting at its lower endwith the split ring, ad- ,iustable means on the sleeve coacting with thetransverse slot, means on the sleeve coacting with "the orifices in thesplit ring, a disc superimposed on the upper end of the sleeve, a discmounted on the aforesaid disc and connected thereto and a table toprigidly secured to the last said disc.

2. A table comprising a column having a transverse slot in its upperpart, a'split ring adjustably mounted on the column intermediate of thelength thereof and having at least a pair of spaced orifices in theupper face of the ring, the pitch of the spaced orifices and the lengthof the transverse slot being substantially equal, a sleeve mounted onthe upper end of the column and extending slightly thereabove, thesleeve coacting at its lower end with the split ring, a disc insertedinthe upper end of the sleeve and resting on the upper end of thecolumn, the disc and the upper end of the sleeve lying in the sameplane, manually retractable resiliently controlled means on the sleeveselectively engaging one of the orifices in the split ring, means on thesleeve engaging with the transverse slot, a disc superposed on the upperend of the sleeve and overlying the aforesaid disc, a third discoverlying the last said disc and connected thereto and a table topconnected to said third disc.

3. The table top claimed in claim 2 wherein the means on the sleeveco-acting with the slot in the column is a set screw threaded throughthe sleeve with a thimbled inner end projecting into said slot therebylimiting the rotation of the sleeve relative to the column and securingthe sleeve against vertical displacement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNiTED STATES PATENTS 425,305 4/1890Daniels 248-415 709,286 9/ 1902 Wilkinson 297-240 1,077,218 10/1913Bryant 108-94 1,629,939 5/1927 Turner 248-418 1,633,907 6/1927 Rylandera- 211-144 1,854,129 4/1932 Folsom 108-64 1,877,895 9/1932 Kohler297-349 2,312,030 2/1943 rarner et al. 248-418 2,334,193 11/1943 Hedeenet al. 248-418 2,664,941 1/1954 'Gillespie -2 248-418 2,737,430 3/1956Ess 108-64 2,764,223 9/ 1956 Mischke 248-418 2,845,990 8/1958 Hubert297-349 2,915,194 12/1959 Shofiner 108-95 FOREIGN PATENTS 271,799 2/1951 Switzerland.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner,

1. A TABLE COMPRISING A COLUMN HAVING A TRANSVERSE SLOT IN THE UPPERPART OF THE COLUMN, A SPLIT RING ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ON THE COLUMNINTERMEDIATE OF THE HEIGHT THEREOF AND HAVING AT LEAST A PAIR OF SPACEDORIFICES ON THE UPPER FACE OF THE RING, THE PITCH OF THE SPACED ORIFICESBEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF THE TRANSVERSE SLOT, A SLEEVEMOUNTED ON THE UPPER END OF THE COLUMN AND CO-ACTING AT ITS LOWER ENDWITH THE SPLIT RING, AD-